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Dwayne, I like what you say but marketing people assure me that one has to have a target audience in mind to succeed. A fellow self-published author whose books are selling at quite a high price, told me that he had even identified a niche market that allowed him to charge higher prices. I think the best result is achieved when the author writes what he really wants to say, and there is a grateful market. Somehow we may have passed this point - it works only for really famous writers, I think - and quite a few people seem to write with specific targets in mind.Not everybody likes enlightenment but I do. I like the idea of gaining new thoughts from somebody else's writing.
Mod
What marketing people consider success may or may not be what I call success. What is success to you?
Tina wrote: "A fellow self-published author whose books are selling at quite a high price, told me that he had even identified a niche market that allowed him to charge higher prices."
I think that works when your books fit nicely into categories and genres. Mine generally don't.
Tina wrote: "I like the idea of gaining new thoughts from somebody else's writing."
Oh, I do, too. I drift toward authors that have bold and different ideas or write in an interesting and new way. I am that kind of writer. The problem with being a writer with new thoughts is that I don't want to do things the tried, the true, the safe way. I would rather do things my way and take a chance.
Dwayne wrote: "Tina wrote: "...marketing people assure me that one has to have a target audience in mind to succeed."What marketing people consider success may or may not be what I call success. What is success..."
I would hate to put my work under an editor's knife.
Mod
What marketing people consider success may or may not be what I call success. ..."
It's not that bad if the editor truly likes your work. They want you to succeed as badly as you want to succeed, so while I understand the fear, I'm learning its unfounded.
I really need to talk to my publisher about doing a comparative of the story I wrote to what it is once it's finally finished, because as I said in a blog earlier this week, Even a story I went over 1000 times still has work to be done.
Riley wrote: "Charles wrote: "Dwayne wrote: "Tina wrote: "...marketing people assure me that one has to have a target audience in mind to succeed."What marketing people consider success may or may not be what ..."
I feel as though they would want to make it more marketable and give it a widespread appeal, which I don't really care for.
Mod
Bingo. I know the kind of stories I write will never appeal to a mass of people and I'm okay with that. I'm just tickled to have the chance to finally publish what I want.
To be honest, the whole reason I didn't even consider the tradtional route was because I knew I would have to shoehorn my writing into a single style and genre. I write what I want to read and I hope it entertains others. Surprisingly, this works. ;)
Dwayne wrote: "Charles wrote: "I feel as though they would want to make it more marketable and give it a widespread appeal, which I don't really care for."Bingo. I know the kind of stories I write will never ap..."
I feel as though that is what pseudonyms for. I may make some cash grabs in the future, but it won't be under this name.
Mod
Same here. And I won't use your name, either.
I would like to write some historical romantic fiction under the name Buford X. Mudswallow.
Not really. But, it is a thought.
Dwayne wrote: "Charles wrote: "I feel as though that is what pseudonyms for. I may make some cash grabs in the future, but it won't be under this name."Same here. And I won't use your name, either.
I would li..."
Dwayne Da'Reyn :D
Back on topic, one of the reasons I like to write is because I feel like I have trouble communicating on with people on certain levels, and I can get all of my thoughts and ideas out when I sit down behind a keyboard. Sometimes it feels like other people can be so mundane and depressing. I'm probably just an elitist though.
At this point I have more close friends on the internet that I've never met than I do friend irl. And I like it like that.
I'm with those of you who find it easier to communicate through the written word than through spoken communication. 'Demand language' situations are difficult for me!
I enjoy living vicariously through my characters. So much life to live, so little time, but experiencing life through my characters helps me live more. :)
Mod
I do that sometimes. I have been noodling with a story that's taking me back to a summer job thirty-some years ago and people I have not thought about in about that long. It's lovely!
Living vicariously through my characters is a truly horrifying thought.
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Yes, it can be, with some characters.
It's a joy to read what you all say - so much enthusiasm. And yet there are so many misery books published in the mainstream. Whenever I go to a bookshop, there are stacks of books written by people with all kinds of diseases or they have suffered abuse etc. Also, many (most?) mainstream novels end on a melancholy note. Are indie authors, despite their difficulties, perhaps a happier lot?
Mod
I can't speak for any independent author but myself. I am quite content in life. I am married to a wonderful woman, I have three adorable dogs. My better paying job can be frustrating, but I cannot picture myself in any other field right now. I love my car. Not so fond of the little house I live in, but life cannot be perfect. This has little to do with my writing. I would be happy with or without my stories. But, I do get a kick out of writing, too.
As for the endings of my tales - some end on happier notes, some do not. Generally, the sillier and more whimsical the story, the more dismal the ending it seems. My serious stories often end on a positive note, my humorous stuff often ends in a "disheartening" (as one reviewer said) way. Funny how that works out.
Tina wrote: "It's a joy to read what you all say - so much enthusiasm. And yet there are so many misery books published in the mainstream. Whenever I go to a bookshop, there are stacks of books written by peopl..."I can't speak for everyone either, but I can say that, though this may come as a shock,those of us living with diaeases can be happy as well. I know I am.
The books that you are describing are nonfiction memoirs and they exist both in traditional and indie published formats and yes, there are quite a few more of them than there are fictional books because " share my experience" books can be cathartic, theraputic, and (though I hate to say it and be accused of undermining someone else's experience) are easier to write for many people than fiction, which requires the creation of an entirely imaginary world.
As for bleak fiction, well, sometimes art imitates life. Oddly, I don't write it, but two of my biggest influences were masters of the unhappy ending. Then sometimes, the happy ending itself can be bothersome in its unrealism.
Charles wrote: "Dwayne wrote: "Charles wrote: "I feel as though that is what pseudonyms for. I may make some cash grabs in the future, but it won't be under this name."Same here. And I won't use your name, eithe..."
I feel the same way. Whenever I attempt to express myself verbally, I can never get my thoughts across and I end up saying the total opposite. But give me a pen and paper and it just flows right out.
I write about poverty, addiction, abuse, mental illness, and disability. Some of it is pretty bleak. Most of my books do end up with the protagonist overcoming these issues in some way, or at least starting to. Most of them.
I like to write about average people who suddenly find themselves in dangerous situations. The plot may revolve around how the situation is resolved, or how the protagonist learns to live with it, but I try to end it in the most logical way I can, without it being too obvious. If I can't make the ending a happy one, I at least try to make it hopeful for the more likable characters.
Ann wrote: "Here's a question for you:Why do you write?
I write because the story won't let go of me until I write it. I suppose, then, that I cannot *not* write.
I've been writing since I was seven and honestly can't imagine life without it. I might not be as disciplined as I'd like - sometimes I'm too tired etc. to put pen to paper - but I think about my characters or future projects every day, as well as dashing off poems or short pieces whenever they pop into my head.A large component seems to be that I get bored very easily. Although I love reading, and there are various films or programmes I enjoy, nothing is as interesting or absorbing as writing. It's like working on an incredibly challenging puzzle only you know the answer to.
Tina wrote: "It's a joy to read what you all say - so much enthusiasm. And yet there are so many misery books published in the mainstream. Whenever I go to a bookshop, there are stacks of books written by peopl..."I can't speak for anyone but myself, but none of my work has a truly happy ending.
Rachael wrote: Although I love reading, and there are various films or programmes I enjoy, nothing is as interesting or absorbing as writing. It's like working on an incredibly challenging puzzle only you know the answer to. Definitely! World building, creating characters and putting them through trials, not ending a story until you are ready... as much fun as reading is, writing takes it just one step further, and allows you to really dig your teeth into a fantasy.
Personally, when asked that question, I like to reply with one of my favorite writing quotes from Somerset Maugham: "We do not write because we want to. We write because we have to." Sounds pretty morbid, because I of course DO want to, haha, always, but it's also something of a "have to" do. I feel like my writing is my way of connecting with the world and coping with reality, translating it sometimes to better understand it or to make a statement/reflection of something, while at the same time just telling the stories I want to tell. And it keeps me happy, or at least content enough--sometimes it's even therapy of sorts.
Mod
2nded
Ann wrote: "Here's a question for you:Why do you write?
There are days I ask myself this over and over. I don't anticipate becoming a household name, and I'm not sure that I would want to be. Everyone seco..."
I write because I opened my mouth in front of a group of friends and said "someday..." They challenged me to start right then and there and have supported, nagged and encouraged me ever since. That was almost 2 years again. I now have 2 books out, working on #3 & #4.
I think of readers in some vague sort of way. But, I do not know who will be reading the stories I write. I just write stuff, put it out there and hope it finds the right audience. I don't really even know who the right audience is. Would you, specifically, learn something from my stories? I don't know. I don't know what want to learn. Am I going to enlighten you? I don't know. You may already be more enlightened than I. The best I can hope for is that if a story made me smile or cry or think, I'll put it out there and see how others react to it.